What is even more disconcerting about this incident, however, is the fact that the people pushing their way into the store were so blinded by their consumptive greed that they “did not stop to help the employee as he lay on the ground” and continued to obstruct those who attempted to come to his aid and save his life.

At 4:55 a.m., just five minutes before the doors were set to open, a crowd of 2,000 anxious shoppers started pushing, shoving and piling against the locked sliding glass doors of the Wal-Mart in Valley Stream, N.Y., Nassau County police said. The shoppers broke the doors off their hinges and surged in, toppling a 34-year-old temporary employee, Jdimypai Damour, 34, of Jamaica, Queens, who had been waiting with other workers in the store’s entryway.

People did not stop to help the employee as he lay on the ground, and they pushed against other Wal-Mart workers who were trying to aid Mr. Damour. The crowd kept running into the store even after the police arrived, jostling and pushing officers who were trying to perform CPR, the police said.

“They were like a stampede,” said Nassau Det. Lt. Michael Fleming. “Hundreds of people walked past him, over him or around him.”

The irony of Mr. Damour’s death under such horrific conditions is devastatingly ironic, given that this November 28, 2008 had been named as a day both to refrain from consumption altogether (for Buy Nothing Day) and, simultaneously, as a day to encourage as much spending as possibleby consumers whose “declining confidence” has been weighing heavily on the minds (and balance sheets) of North American retailers and businesses.

Many have condemned it as a symbolic representation of the ultimate excess of American consumerism — a greed-driven, mass transgression of humanity perpetrated by a group of people seemingly devoid of compassion, self-awareness, or respect for their fellow human beings.

Eight-year old “talent show star” Connie Talbot, who placed second in the UK singing competition television show “Britain’s Got Talent” is now topping the U.S. Billboard charts with her single “Three Little Birds“.

If Elvis were alive today, would he be snatching mics and awards out of other peoples’ hands, blogging about his latest sequined stage outfit, or recording albums with every vocal filtered through a vocoder? No, he wouldn’t.

Somebody call me once Kanye West has taken over Celine Dion’s permanent Las Vegas show. Then we can start talking about Elvis comparisons.

But despite his delusions of grandeur, the fact remains that Kanye will never be The King.

As you may have heard, Kanye West announced at the American Music Awards that he wants to be the next Elvis. Then West had to take it even further.

“When I said the statement, ‘I want to be Elvis,’ I really should have thought that out more because that statement was actually really incorrect,” West told E! News’ Ryan Seacrest Tuesday. “Actually, the true statement was ‘I want to be better than Elvis.’ “

So does West have what it takes to get anywhere near Elvis’ stratosphere? We talked to some industry insiders to find out…

“Kanye is one of the biggest hip-hop stars in the world right now,” says Emil Wilbekin, editor-in-chief of urban lifestyle magazine Giant. “But I do believe he has delusions of grandeur.”

The ever-prolific Lil Wayne has released a new mixtape, his latest in his The Drought series, and his most recent collaboration with The Empire. Check the full tracklist below.

Lil Wayne owes much of his current success to his mixtape hustle from about two years ago. The two particular mixtape series that put him over the top was Dedication and The Drought series where he showcased his drugged out, crazy, stream of consciousness flow to extraordinary effect. He returns to The Drought series with his new collaboration with The Empire entitled The Drought is Over 6. My favorite Wayne mixtape is still Drought 3, let’s see if this one can live up to it. Download it below and check the tracklisting after the jump.

“Madrod” has gone public. Madonna and Alex Rodriguez made their public debut in Miami last night, just one week after Madge’s divorce from her former husband Guy Ritchie.

As Madonna completed her second song before a sell-out crowd in Miami’s Dolphin Stadium Wednesday night, New York Yankees slugger Alex Rodriguez handed her a bottle of water.

“It was easy for him to hand it off because he was sitting in the front row,” a witness tells E! News. “He was all excited watching her perform.”

And, just like that, Madonna acknowledged in public, less than a week after her quickie divorce from Guy Ritchie, that A-Rod is indeed the superfan (and waterboy) he’s reportedly been for most of this year in private.

The two arrived in town together on Monday and spent most of Wednesday hanging around town with pal Ingrid Casares, a prominent Miami party promoter, who introduced the pair.

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The Low Down

Culturite explores Indigeneity, politics, media, hip-hop, art, culture, philosophy & technology. I'm also on Tumblr and Twitter. Here's a short bio and for more info about past & current projects, check the About Me page. Get in touch: jarrett.martineauATgmail.com.